What If?
by Simmer2000
Summary: What would life be like if Arnold had the crush on Helga and she was the one who wasn't interested? Has no relation to any other episode of Hey Arnold because everything is so different!
1. Different

Hey Arnold!  
  
What If - Chapter One - Different  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Hey Arnold or have any connection with the show.   
  
Notes: I got inspired to write this while writing chapter six of Secrets and Lies, so it looks like I will be writing two fics at once, I hope that you guys don't mind. It is a What If story (hence the title) that says what things would be like if Arnold secretly admired Helga and Helga didn't have feelings for him. Things are a little different, Arnold isn't mean or anything like that, but you better just read it to see how things are! Of course, this has no connection with any other episode of Hey Arnold because everything is so different.   
  
Arnold was walking to school, alone. Gerald had called him earlier on that morning to tell him that he would be a little late, so Arnold should walk to school without him. It was raining heavily, Arnold has an umbrella with him and had it held above his head.   
  
Then, Arnold noticed Helga walking behind him. Arnold started to walk more slowly so that Helga would be able to catch up with him. Arnold was extremely fond of Helga; he was madly in love with her. Arnold thought that she was really pretty, but he could also see the part of Helga that was skin deep. Helga had a nice personality, a lot of friends and was always getting good grades. Helga's father was very proud of Helga and only wished that Helga's older sister, Olga could have been a good student, instead of one who didn't care for school and was constantly getting Fs.   
  
Helga was getting closer to Arnold and he turned back to wave at her. Helga smiled back at him and hurried to catch up with him. "Hi, Arnold," she said, once she was close enough.   
  
"Hey Helga!" said Arnold, enthusiastically. "How are you?"  
  
"I'm fine, but I'm a little tired because my Dad took us all out on a meal last night because of my good report card," yawned Helga. "But, we ended up staying out a little late! It's nice that Bob is paying attention to me, but he doesn't have to throw a party every time I get an A!"   
  
"I'm sure that you would be moaning if your Dad wasn't paying attention to you," smiled Arnold.   
  
"I suppose so," Helga replied.   
  
"Do you want to walk the rest of the way to school with me?" asked Arnold, hoping to spend time with Helga.   
  
"No, I can't," Helga turned him down. "I promised Phoebe that I would meet her in the school yard early to discuss our school project that we are doing together, although she did sound a little sick the last time I spoke to her. I'm already late, so I should start to run ahead. See you in class!"  
  
Helga started to run to school, leaving Arnold to sadly walk alone. "If only she saw me as more than a friend," Arnold muttered to himself, sadly.   
  
When Arnold and the other kids got to class, Arnold told Mr. Simmons that Gerald would be late. Phoebe hadn't showed up either, it looked like she was sick.   
  
"Right class!" said Mr. Simmons. "Today we are going to start our projects! You already know that I am letting you choose what you would like to do the projects on and I asked you to discuss it in your pairs. I hope that we can get some really special projects, showing your own special interests!" Simmons paused for a moment and then added, "Well, it looks like both Phoebe and Gerald are absent from school this morning, so I suggest that their partners, Arnold and Helga should go together as a pair."  
  
Arnold smiled with delight. It wasn't that he didn't want to do the project with Gerald, but he wanted to spend time with Helga even more.   
  
"When Phoebe and Gerald come back, they can both pair up and do a project together," said Mr. Simmons. "Right class, get together and start your projects!"  
  
Arnold walked nervously over to Helga's desk and joined his desk to it. "I know that we didn't plan on it, but it looks like we're working together," smiled Arnold.   
  
"Yeah, I suppose that we should just make the best of it, even if we would rather be working with Phoebe and Gerald," said Helga. This statement made Arnold more determined to make Helga like him. "Me and Phoebe decided to do our project on wildlife," said Helga.  
  
"Well, Gerald and I sort of wanted to do a project on the five Space Busters movies," Arnold smiled nervously.   
  
Helga laughed. "We have a problem already!" she said. "We'll have to compromise."  
  
"What are we going to do?" asked Arnold. "We can't exactly write about the wildlife in the Space Busters movies, can we? There isn't any wildlife!"  
  
"I think that we should just tell Mr. Simmons about our problem and maybe he can give us an idea on something that we will both enjoy," said Helga.   
  
"Okay," said Arnold, who went to tell Mr. Simmons about his problem. Mr. Simmons thought for a moment and called Helga over. "What's your favourite TV show?" he asked Helga.   
  
"Well, I like a lot of shows, but I suppose that my favourite children's show would be Yo, Ernest!" said Helga.   
  
"What about you?" Mr. Simmons asked Arnold.   
  
Arnold had seen the show Yo, Ernest; he wasn't really a fan, but he knew what the show was about. Arnold did want to get close to Helga so he decided to pretend to be interested in her interests. "I like Yo, Ernest, too!" exclaimed Arnold.   
  
"Well, there you go!" exclaimed Simmons. "You can do a project on your favourite TV show!"  
  
"Great!" said Arnold and Helga who were happy to have made a decision. On the way back to his seat, Arnold accidentally bumped into Lila. "Watch where you're going, Football Head!" snapped Lila.  
  
"Sorry, Lila!" apologised Arnold.   
  
"You better be!" snapped Lila.   
  
"Why does Lila have to be like that?" Arnold asked Helga as they sat down together.   
  
"Some people are just mean!" said Helga, and the two started to discuss plans for their project.   
  
Notes: This is weird! I know it is, you don't have to tell me. Other things are supposed to be different in this story as well as Arnold liking Helga and Helga not having feelings for him. Lila is mean, but I'm not going to make it so that she secretly loves Arnold. That would make it too complicated.   
  
Also, Helga isn't ignored by her parents, but I'm not going to make it so that she annoyingly perfect like Olga. I'm going to extend this fic from the Helga/Arnold story. There are going to be a few other major storylines going on. I hope that this doesn't seem to weird. Please review if you enjoyed this. Constructive criticism please, no flames! By the way, Helga isn't going to turn into Lila in this fic, either. Future chapters will show this. 


	2. Crushes

Hey Arnold!  
  
What If - Chapter Two - Crushes  
  
Disclaimer: I don't work on Hey Arnold and I don't have any connection with the show.   
  
Helga and Arnold had quickly started to work on their project and before they knew it, their project time for that day was over. They had both decided to meet up on the next night.   
  
When the day was over, Arnold had wanted to walk home with Helga, but she had disappeared out of sight before Arnold could ask her. Arnold sighed. Would he ever make Helga like him? Gerald hadn't came to school that day; Arnold wondered why and went to Gerald's house on the way home.   
  
Arnold knocked on Gerald's door and Gerald's mother answered. "Hey Arnold!" she said. "Gerald didn't feel well enough to come to school today but he's feeling better now. You can come in if you want!"  
  
"Thanks!" said Arnold, stepping into Gerald's house. Gerald's mother led Arnold into their living room, where Gerald was watching TV.   
  
"Hi Arnold!" said Gerald, cheerfully. "Did my mom tell you why I was sick today?"   
  
"Yeah," said Arnold.   
  
"Did Mr. Simmons make the class start our projects today?" asked Gerald.   
  
"Yeah," said Arnold. "Because you were absent and Phoebe was too, Mr. Simmons made me pair up with Helga, so that means that you are working with Phoebe."  
  
"I don't mind working with Phoebe, I suppose," smiled Gerald. "I suppose that you're pretty happy with being paired up with Helga aren't you?"  
  
"Yeah," said Arnold. "It's just that; I try so hard to impress her and be nice to her, but she never seems to want anything more than friendship from me!"  
  
"Have you asked her if she wants to go out with you?" asked Gerald.   
  
"No, not exactly," said Arnold. "But I can tell that she doesn't like me - like me."  
  
"Well then, you never know!" encouraged Gerald. "You know, Helga is pretty popular with all of the boys in our class, but no matter who asks her out on a date, she says no! Maybe she is holding out for you!"   
  
"I doubt it!" said Arnold. "We're doing our project on the show "Yo Ernest,"" said Arnold.   
  
"I thought that you didn't watch that show," said Gerald.   
  
"I don't," said Arnold. "It was Helga's idea; I just pretended to be interested in it so it seemed like we had something in common."  
  
"Oh, I see," said Gerald. "I have no idea what Phoebe and I are going to work on. Maybe I should call her?"  
  
"You should, she could be back at school tomorrow," said Arnold.   
  
Arnold sat watching cartoons while Gerald went to use the kitchen phone. Gerald ended up talking to Phoebe for ten minutes. "At least he has a chance of a love life," Arnold muttered. "Phoebe obviously likes him."  
  
Gerald came back into the living room with a huge smile on his face. "She said that she'll be back at school tomorrow and that she was delighted to be working with me!"   
  
"Sounds like she likes you!" exclaimed Arnold. "Did you talk about any ideas of what you could do your project on?"   
  
"She just said that she'd be happy to do about anything so we have decided on the history of Elk Island," said Gerald.   
  
"Wow, that's so cool!" said Arnold. "You can write about the island's history and all about the legend of Wheezin' Ed!"  
  
"It'll be really interesting; especially with Phoebe!"   
  
"I'd better get going," said Arnold. "Mr. Simmons gave us some math homework to do. I'll see you tomorrow. Don't get too lovesick over Phoebe!"  
  
"Bye, man," said Gerald as Arnold left and shut the front door behind him. Then, Timberly jumped out from behind the couch and gave Gerald the fright of his life. She started to sing, "Gerald's got a girlfriend, Gerald's got a girlfriend!" and she started to bounce on the couch.   
  
"Timberly, get lost!" said Gerald. "I don't have a girlfriend!"  
  
"Yes you do!" exclaimed Timberly. "I heard you talking to Arnold! Her name is Phoebe!"   
  
Gerald's brother, Jamie O. had overheard Timberly teasing Gerald. "What's that?" asked Jamie O. "Does little Gerald have a crush on somebody?" Jamie O. punched Gerald playfully on the arm.   
  
"Get off me, man!" said Gerald. "It's just Timberly making up stories again!"  
  
"Whatever!" said Jamie O. "I have to get ready to go to a party!"  
  
Jamie O. left the room and ran to his bedroom. Gerald sighed. He didn't have any privacy or peace in his house.   
  
The next day, both Gerald and Phoebe came back to school and again, and Mr. Simmons let the class spend the morning on their projects. Phoebe had managed to get a book from the library about Elk Island. As they worked, Gerald casually brought up the subject of Helga and Arnold.   
  
"You're good friends with Helga, aren't you Phoebe?" asked Gerald.   
  
"Yeah, despite Helga's popularity, she does say that I am her best friend!" said Phoebe.   
  
"Does she have a crush on Arnold?" asked Gerald.   
  
"Not that I know of," said Phoebe. "Helga hasn't had many boyfriends though, I don't know if she would tell anybody if she liked anybody. But, it's not like there are a lack of people asking to go out with Helga. Next to Rhonda, she is the most popular kid in this class!"  
  
"Oh," said Gerald, disappointed for his friend, although he wondered if maybe Helga was hiding her feelings.   
  
"Why, does Arnold like Helga?" asked Phoebe.   
  
"No, of course not, it was a rhetorical question," said Gerald.   
  
Notes: More things are different in this chapter, I know. Helga is popular! I'm not going to comment on all the things that have changed at the end of each chapter any more, it's obvious that a lot of things are going to be different in this fic. And don't worry, it's going to extend from this whole project thing. Please review!  
  



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